AMRITSAR, Sept. 18 -- The rape case against senior Akali Dal leader and SGPC member Amarjit Singh Chawla has put the party and the gurdwara body in a tight spot. The FIR, accessed by HT, was registered against Chawla on the complaint of a woman who alleged that she was held captive and raped at a serai in Anandpur Sahib. The woman hails from Sangrur district but is currently settled in Bahrain. The FIR was registered under Sections 64, 127(2) and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on August 21. The names of Akal Takht's additional head granthi Malkit Singh and Mohan Singh, a driver at Takht Kesgarh Sahib, have also figured in the complaint, with the woman alleging that they sent her vulgar messages. Though the duo is not named as accused in the FIR, SGPC chief secretary Kulwant Singh Mannan, in a statement, said, both employees have been suspended, and a detailed inquiry has been marked by the SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami. Chawla, on his part, has trashed the allegations, terming it as a political conspiracy. He, however, has resigned from SGPC membership and all party posts. According to the FIR, the complainant returned from Bahrain on November 17, 2025, and was provided accommodation by the SGPC at a serai of Takht Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib. She stayed there from February 27 to August 16 this year, says the FIR. According to Sikh groups, SGPC rules reportedly do not allow a devotee to stay in its serais for more than two days. The complainant further alleged that she was held captive at another serai in Anandpur Sahib from August 16 onwards. The FIR also states that she was taken to Amritsar by unnamed SGPC functionaries. Chawla is yet to be arrested. "The probe is still going on, and appropriate action will be taken," said Ropar SSP Maninder Singh. According to unconfirmed reports, Chawla has fled to Canada. When asked about action against Chawla, acting Akal Takht jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj said: "The matter is being investigated. Whoever is found guilty in the probe should not be spared." Giani Gargaj is also jathedar of Takht Kesgarh Sahib. SAD (Punar Surjit) leaders questioned the handling of the complainant's grievances by senior political and religious functionaries on Thursday. Terming the allegations serious, party secretary general Gurpartap Singh Wadala and youth wing president Gurjit Singh Talwandi claimed that the woman had informed top SAD and SGPC authorities about the crime but no action was taken against Chawla."...